Enter any address in Rockcastle County, Kentucky to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Rockcastle County. Between 2000 and 2020, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 41 flash flood events and 34 flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding on April 2, 2025, and August 7, 2024, driven by weather systems moving through Eastern Kentucky.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that while Zone A areas have had more claims (9), Zone X areas have experienced higher average payouts ($44,594) and significantly deeper water depths (11.9 ft). Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, and those in Zone X with a history of claims or located near waterways, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
30 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Rockcastle County, Kentucky has recorded 75 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 41 flash floods and 34 river or area floods. The county has received 33 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1974–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | May 16, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 2, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Apr 2, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides | Severe Storm | Feb 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Feb 14, 2025 |
| Remnants Of Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | May 21, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Mar 3, 2023 |
| Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Feb 27, 2021 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2024 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2022 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 6, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 1, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 1, 2022 | 500.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 28, 2021 | 15.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 28, 2021 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Apr 4, 2025
On the afternoon of the 2nd a strong surface low was located over the MN/WI area, with a warm front extending southwest through the OH valley, and a trailing cold front extending SSE through the Ozarks. By 00Z (the evening of the 2nd), a strong convective squall line had developed across the Ohio and Mississippi Valley which slowly continued east through the evening. By early morning on the 3rd...
Flash Flood — Aug 7, 2024
A cold front moved into eastern Kentucky during the early afternoon hours on Wednesday, August 7th. It then became stationary for much of the remainder of the day, as Tropical Storm (downgraded from Hurricane) Debbie began to move along the southeast Atlantic Coast. This stationary boundary created the instability to produce showers and thunderstorms throughout the afternoon across the region, ...
Flash Flood — Aug 10, 2022
A stationary boundary lingered near the Ohio River through the day. The boundary provided a lifting mechanism for a moist and unstable air mass over eastern Kentucky. Torrential rainfall on top of already saturated soils caused streams to rapidly rise and flash flood at several locations.
Flash Flood — Aug 6, 2022
With a high pressure center sitting east of the state, Kentucky, along with much of the Deep South found themselves in a strong return flow pattern. This consisted of S to SW winds which were able to pump in ample moisture and warm air from the Gulf of Mexico. However, with no boundaries or airmass changes nearby, the flow aloft was not very strong. High moisture and weak flow materialized into...
Flood — Jan 1, 2022
The second warmest December on record for Eastern Kentucky finished with a warm and moist air mass in place on New Year's Eve. A developing warm front slowly lifted northward out of the Tennessee Valley during the early morning hours on New Year's Day 2022 and stalled near the the Hal Rogers/Highway 80 corridor. The combination of strong lifting and near record atmospheric moisture levels for t...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Rockcastle County, Kentucky:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Rockcastle County, Kentucky that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.